10/07/2024

As Category 5 Storm Barrels Towards the Gulf Coast, Florida Evacuates

The storm lends more urgency to the cleanup from Hurricane Helene

Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane Monday in the Gulf of Mexico on a path toward Florida, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and leading to evacuation orders and long gas lines.

The storm lends more urgency to the cleanup from Hurricane Helene, which swamped the same stretch of coastline less than two weeks ago.

After landfall, the storm will barrel across the state, through major cities like Tampa and Orlando overnight into Thursday, forecasters say. Officials are warning residents not to bank on the storm weakening. Florida’s Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) offers this list of which counties under evacuation orders.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Associated Press.